Commissioner Roderick J. Fraser, Jr. announces today that he has appointed Steve E. Abraira as the Boston (MA) Fire Department’s Chief of the Department.
Chief Abraira was selected after a nationwide recruitment which attracted over fifty applicants from across the nation. He will succeed Ronald Keating, who retired in October after 41 years of service to the Boston Fire Department. Abraira will assume command on December 5, 2011.
Chief Abraira served the Miami, Florida Fire-Rescue Department for over 26 years, retiring as an Assistant Fire Chief in 2000 when he was appointed Fire Chief of the City of Dallas, Texas Fire-Rescue Department. Chief Abraira served the City of Dallas for over 5 years before retiring and returning to Florida. In 2007, Abraira came out of retirement to assume his current position of Fire Chief in Palm Bay, Florida. He holds a Bachelor degree in Public Administration from Barry University and graduates on December 17, 2011 with a dual Masters degree in Human Resources Management and Management and Leadership from Webster University. Abraira also holds the Chief Fire Officer designation from the Commission on Professional Credentialing and is a member of the Institution of Fire Engineers.
The fire service is truly an Abraira family calling. Chief Abraira’s son is currently a Fire Lieutenant with the City of Miami Fire-Rescue Department, making him a third-generation Miami firefighter.
In Boston, Chief Abraira will report to Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser and will serve as the highest ranking uniformed officer in the 1,439 member Boston Fire Department, the oldest professional fire service organization in the nation. Commissioner Fraser is pleased to select Abraira for this demanding and prestigious appointment, citing his progressive experience, training and dedication to fire protection, emergency medical services, homeland security and disaster preparedness. Chief Abraira states, “I am thrilled and humbled to become a part of the distinctive and proud history of the men and women of the Boston Fire Department. I pledge to work with the Commissioner’s office, the staff of the department and the public to provide the highest quality services possible to the citizens of Boston.”
To facilitate the recruitment process, the City of Boston engaged The Waters Consulting Group of Dallas, Texas, to attract and do the initial screening of candidates. Commissioner Fraser and Chief of Department Ronald Keating personally interviewed the finalists and directed comprehensive background reviews of the candidates.
